Thursday, January 13, 2011

Lucy's Birth Story- it's a long one!

I went to the doctor on Tuesday, Nov. 30 and I was still only 1cm and 50% effaced. I actually wasn't disappointed, I pretty much knew I was going to be induced since I was already past my due date. They set my induction up for the next day, Dec. 1, at 5pm. I had to go in and get cervadil for 12 hours to help "prepare the way." Even after my water broke with Molly I still had to have cervadil to help. It doesn't hurt, just annoying to lay there for 12 hours! So I really was not looking forward to that.

Thankfully my in-laws were coming that week already, we just thought Lucy would have already been born, but no, she is stubborn! So my in-laws got in on Wednesday, we went to lunch, came home, packed, and headed for the hospital. While at lunch I was having contractions, but I figured they were nothing since I had been having contractions for a couple weeks and nothing was progressing. We checked in at 5pm and started the cervadil around 6:30pm. When they put the monitors on me they saw my contractions were sometimes 2-3 minutes apart or 3-4 minutes apart. I hardly felt anything! They asked me at that point if I wanted an epidural, which I found a little odd. I declined and we hunkered down for the next 12 hours. I thought I would at least get a good nights sleep since I had to lay there, but no. I was too anxious and really uncomfortable with the monitors, cervadil, and feeling like I had to go to the bathroom all the time. But the nurses were all so nice and very accommodating. They brought in a hospital bed for Eric to sleep on instead of the gross plastic pull out couch. So we had matching beds and we joked that in 75 years this is what we would look like.

Around 7:00amon Dec. 2, they started the pitocin, but I was still having contractions on my own, the same minutes apart. So during the whole induction process the most pitocin I received was 11 drips/hour. Which I was very thankful for because I am a wimp when it comes to pain and I really didn't want pitocin in the first place.

So I completely lost track of time, but I do remember what events happened...

Pitocin started at 7am, and things were fine. Nothing too painful, however every single time the nurse came in she kept asking if I wanted an epidural. I guess they see a lot people wait to the last minute and then can't get one for whatever reason, so they always ask. Which is fine, but really at this point I was still 2cm. Probably around mid-morning I started having back labor. I had terrible back labor with Molly, so this time around I was so scared it was going to be the same or worse. I started thinking about getting the epidural, but wanted to wait to see if it got worse. About this time the doctor came in and I was probably 5 cm, and she wanted to break my water, but she also said if I was going to get an epidural I should get one now because things could go really fast. I panicked and wasn't sure what to do, so I got one. Hindsight is 20/20 let me tell you, after the experience I had with it, I would have never got one this time around. With Molly the epidural was a life saver, but with Lucy it was the worst part of the whole birthing experience. The guy came and shoved that thing in my back so hard, it was awful! Then I didn't realize they gave you a narcotic in your IV to speed things along, oh my word, I can not handle anything more than Tylenol, or I get sick. So I spent the rest of the time throwing up! I felt awful for Eric, he is not a blood or guts type of guy, but he was a trooper! Once they realized I couldn't handle the narcotic, they gave me zofran to help, it was too late. In the in between time of getting sick they broke my water and by 2 or so, maybe a little before I was 10 cm. The only problem was there were 5 sets of twins being born that day and no doctor was around to deliver Lucy. So when they said don't push, they really meant it!

Around this time the nurse also decided to turn down my epidural because I was still getting so sick, and she told me I could start pushing because Lucy was so low, I really couldn't hold on any longer. So I would push, get sick, lay back, get sick, push, you see the pattern. It was not good, but the nurse said getting sick helped with moving Lucy lower, well, by all means, whatever I can do to speed that along!

We thought she would be a quick delivery and we all called like 3pm for her time to be born. They eventually just turned my epidural off, and then my contractions slowed down to 4-5 minutes apart, so I would literally push, we would then sit and chat, then 5 minutes later push again. It was really surreal, yet relaxing at the same time, if that's possible. The pushing part was coming along and around 3:45pm her head was out, but she wasn't officially born until 4:06pm, yes my friends, she crowned that long, OUCH! She was stuck on scar tissue from when I gave birth to Molly and the doctor wanted everything to happen naturally, so she was not going to help anything along. Oh my word, it hurt! But it also felt like such a sense of accomplishment because I was not on any drugs while pushing or delivering. I felt it all and it truthfully it felt good, okay not physically, but you know what I mean. With Molly I felt nothing, she was stuck, everything was dramatic, and an emergency with her, they didn't even lay her on my stomach. With Lucy it was way more relaxed, it was only me, Eric, the nurse, the doctor, and a nurse for Lucy in the room. I loved it. We all were calm, relaxed (well, not me!) and Lucy laid on my belly for like 15 minutes before they cleaned her up. It was wonderful! And this time Eric cut the cord, with Molly I got it, but he did it this time around!

So besides the epidural and the 15 minutes of crowning, and well the getting sick part, this time around went way better than the first, and it was an overall great experience. However, when pushing Eric and I decided we are set with 2 biological kids. I know you aren't supposed to make any emotional decisions during labor/delivery, but trust me, I am really good with 2 :)

Thanks to all of you for your sweet words, kind thoughts, prayers, and well wishes! Every single one of them was felt and heard! We feel truly grateful and I hope someday I can bless you all like you blessed us!

7 comments:

I {heart} birth stories!!! I can totally relate to the pushing and waiting and waiting and then pushing - same thing happened with Levi. It must've been AWFUL to be getting sick while pushing - ugh, I can't imagine! Thanks for sharing Lucy's sweet story!

I think I'm the same way with the meds...I threw up while on the surgery table after my c-section! NOT pretty. I kept getting sick after going upstairs and then of course, went back to the ER a few days after! Oh my, I think I'd thrown up more in that pregnancy/birth than my entire life combined! Thank you for sharing!

Wow! What a story, Kate! That's awful about getting sick :( And crowning for that long! That must have been so crazy! I'm just so glad that she's here, healthy, and that everything is going good! Love ya lots! And loved reading your story!

Boo on such a bad epidural!! But I'm glad that overall it went better this time. I get what you say when you say it felt good. I think so too. I didn't believe it at the time though! lol I wish I would've had a natural birth with Kyndra. I think I would've avoided an episiotomy that way.

You made me laugh when you talked about the 2 beds and you and Eric being there in 75 yrs. I had to read that to Anth!

I love reading birth stories. They used to terrify me until I had Aubrey. BAHAHA! BUT I must say that I am so very thankful that I never got to terribly sick. You poor think :( BUT I know you know that she is worth every bit of it!!